Autonomous and semi-autonomous multifunctional medical robots, teams and systems

Abstract

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to autonomous configuration of a multifunction robot for healthcare-related tasks. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to receiving, in the multifunction robot, selection data that identifies a treatment plan for a patient, analyzing the selection data to identify one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan. The method includes determining a module layout for the multifunction robot according to the task modules for carrying out the treatment plan. The method includes configuring the robot with at least one of the task modules according to the module layout.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A management system for autonomous configuration of a multifunction robot, comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 responsive to receiving, in the multifunction robot, selection data that identifies a treatment plan for a patient, analyze the selection data to identify one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan; 
 determine a module layout for the multifunction robot according to the one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan, including instructions to determine which of a set of available modules to acquire for use as the one or more task modules for implementing the treatment plan, wherein separate modules of the set of available modules are associated with different tasks, including tasks for at least monitoring, drug delivery, and surgery; and 
 configure the robot with the one or more task modules from the set of available task modules according to the module layout, including instructions to automatically self-assemble the multifunction robot using the one or more task modules by installing the one or more task modules into one or more available locations within a belly of the multifunction robot. 
   
     
     
         2 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to automatically self-assemble include instructions to control the multifunction robot to independently retrieve the one or more task modules and install the one or more task modules in the belly. 
     
     
         3 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to receive the selection data include instructions to receive the selection data from a cloud-based system that generates the selection data according to an assessment of the patient that indicates one or more therapies as part of the treatment plan, the therapies including separate algorithms for performing the therapies. 
     
     
         4 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the different tasks include distinct medical therapies for treating the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine the module layout for the multifunction robot include instructions to determine how to populate available space within the multifunction robot to achieve the treatment plan, including instructions to communicate with one or more additional robots to conscript the one or more additional robots to assist in performing the treatment plan by allocating at least one task module from the set of available modules to the one or more additional robots. 
     
     
         6 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to analyze the selection data include instructions to iteratively analyze the selection data as the selection data is received and reconfiguring the module layout to adapt the multifunction robot to the treatment plan as the treatment plan changes in response to changes in a condition of the patient. 
     
     
         7 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions include instructions to dispatch the multifunction robot to perform at least a portion of the treatment plan using the one or more task modules. 
     
     
         8 . The management system of  claim 1 , wherein the management system is integrated with the multifunction robot that includes at least a plurality of sensors and movable arms for perceiving aspects of a surrounding environment and interacting with the surrounding environment. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium for autonomous configuration of a multifunction robot and storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 responsive to receiving, in the multifunction robot, selection data that identifies a treatment plan for a patient, analyze the selection data to identify one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan;   determine a module layout for the multifunction robot according to the one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan, including instructions to determine which of a set of available modules to acquire for use as the one or more task modules for implementing the treatment plan, wherein separate modules of the set of available modules are associated with different tasks, including tasks for at least monitoring, drug delivery, and surgery; and   configure the robot with the one or more task modules from the set of available task modules according to the module layout, including instructions to automatically self-assemble the multifunction robot using the one or more task modules by installing the one or more task modules into one or more available locations within a belly of the multifunction robot.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the instructions to automatically self-assemble include instructions to control the multifunction robot to independently retrieve the one or more task modules and install the one or more task modules in the belly.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions to receive the selection data include instructions to receive the selection data from a cloud-based system that generates the selection data according to an assessment of the patient that indicates one or more therapies as part of the treatment plan, the therapies including separate algorithms for performing the therapies. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the different tasks include distinct medical therapies for treating the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions to determine the module layout for the multifunction robot include instructions to determine how to populate available space within the multifunction robot to achieve the treatment plan, including instructions to communicate with one or more additional robots to conscript the one or more additional robots to assist in performing the treatment plan by allocating at least one task module from a set of available modules to the one or more additional robots. 
     
     
         14 . A method for autonomous configuration of a multifunction robot, comprising:
 responsive to receiving, in the multifunction robot, selection data that identifies a treatment plan for a patient, analyzing the selection data to identify one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan;   determining a module layout for the multifunction robot according to the one or more task modules for carrying out the treatment plan, including determining which of a set of available modules to acquire for use as the one or more task modules for implementing the treatment plan, wherein separate modules of the set of available modules are associated with different tasks, including tasks for at least monitoring, drug delivery, and surgery; and   configuring the robot with the one or more task modules from the set of available task modules according to the module layout, including automatically self-assembling the multifunction robot using the one or more task modules by installing the one or more task modules into one or more available locations within a belly of the multifunction robot.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein automatically self-assembling includes controlling the multifunction robot to independently retrieve the one or more task modules and install the one or more task modules in the belly. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein receiving the selection data includes receiving the selection data from a cloud-based system that generates the selection data according to an assessment of the patient that indicates one or more therapies as part of the treatment plan, the therapies including separate algorithms for performing the therapies. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the different tasks include distinct medical therapies for treating the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining the module layout for the multifunction robot includes determining how to populate available space within the multifunction robot to achieve the treatment plan, including communicating with one or more additional robots to conscript the one or more additional robots to assist in performing the treatment plan by allocating at least one task module from the set of available modules to the one or more additional robots. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein analyzing the selection data includes iteratively analyzing the selection data as the selection data is received and reconfiguring the module layout to adapt the multifunction robot to the treatment plan as the treatment plan changes in response to changes in a condition of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 dispatching the multifunction robot to perform at least a portion of the treatment plan using the one or more task modules.